Abstract
Purpose: :
To investigate the fate map of neural crest cells tracked by Protein 0 promoter-driven Cre recombinase during mammalian ocular development.
Methods: :
The neural crest cells in mice developing eyes (between embryonic day 8.5 and postnatal day 42) were traced by a complementally binary genetic technique using a transgene expressing the Cre recombinase under the control of Protein 0 promoter and a Rosa26 Cre-responsive reporter gene producing β-galactosidase (β-gal) after Cre-mediated recombination.
Results: :
β-gal-positive cells were detectable in periocular segment at E9.5. In the late embryonic stages (E13.5 to E18.5), neural crest cells-derived tissues including corneal stroma, corneal endothelium, iridocorneal angle, ciliary body, primary vitreous and eyelid were intensely stained. The intensity of β-gal-staining was gradually decreased in the corneal stroma after the birth while β-gal-positive cells were densely localized in the presumptive area of the iridocorneal angle throughout the ocular development.
Conclusions: :
These results demonstrate that Protein 0-Cre transgenic mice provide the fate of neural crest cells in ocular anterior segment as well as the potential for conditional knocked-out strategy about the candidate molecules for the differentiation of the ocular anterior segment.
Keywords: anterior segment • ciliary body • cornea: endothelium